New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-26
THE REBEL FLAGS.
SIX HUNDRED DROPPING INTO TATTERs
MRS CLEVELAND A PLAIN wOMAN-THE LoBDLY
IA.G

--------
MRS. CLEVELAND PLAIN wOMAE-THE LoRDLf
UNDERLYING
WASHINGTON June 25.-There are upward OF thoH
sand flags in what for the present the Oh INC
War Department. OF these nearly 600 ore keDei ags
so-naed IN the record book bearing the utie hecoru
of Rebel flags captured by the Union troops since April
49, 1851 over 200 are Federal colors taken by Con-
federate troops and found in Richmond attcr tne eNac
alton OF that city The balance are also Federa coors
reg1menta flags turned to the war Department W
the various State organizations The iatter are III vi
stals The real history Of the Confederate "as' "ou
be more interesting than the few lines oaeh one sots
the record book. Some of these are made OF women
dresses Where cashmere other woollen hiacri"' was
used as in several, they have been eaten mo o" ~
moths They were no doubt worn ont when pacou III
the department twenty years ago, Dut now 'noy nv
literally in tatters. Blues have faded into "hi'c anu i
into faint pink. The stars have dropped out anu "
unfur1ed little bits fall to the floor. The largest nag III
the lot Is the garrison flag of Fort Tyler 1851 JIM "
captured by tho LIST Wisconsin, "a lndiaha anu ' ~o'
tucky regiments The smallest Is tiny guidoh laAeh
from tho First Irish Brigade, or 69th IN '
brigade believe 1t was the glory OF the o''" W 80,
of never having lost Its colors Aftcr thc war '',o
many of the flags were In the Ordnance "a'e"
Winders Building, soldiers OF tho o9tn uropp'he " "
visitors were taken down." as tho man In charge OK
nressed IL by seeing their guidon Number zoo
a Union flag made by Mrs Ietty Mcbweh' mo''o"
from her house at the time the city OF Na'h'i'o,
WIS I'm possession of the SOUTH and was iouhu e>' %
ing there when General Buells army took the ci'''
flag about which there is perhaps most cuiosi's 70
.mal black fag having single white star IN INC oo"
This was among the flags In the ordnance ""
attracted fine attention OF visitors who regarueu ~ a.
they would a practical signal OF no quarter i'uesr'
some way had written on one corner INC w.
quarter" The late General Myer' am 'oiu, ue ~,
this flag TO be Rebsl signal fag maze o'ch W Sno"
clearly against bright sky flag captured from Gen
had
pasted on the staff Mr. Yankee you VIII please urn
This flag staff and shoulder belt to the oh Maine
WAS captured at st. Gilmore on 20th oct looi' W
Third Forks Regt VOL Csigncd) Big Rebel
When the captured Union flags were found at Rich
mond there were with the Rebel archives sent up 70
Washington a collection of designs for Confederate
flag With the devices were letters explaining 'ne'r
meaning But in ALL over 900, there were not above
half dozen devices without the The arrangement
Of the stars made infinite variety but through ALL the
mullet or five pointed star retained. showing that
DESTROYS the Conederatcs were to get nag unlike Tue
Yankee emblem, the old feeling could not SNAKE on
attachment TO the stars And in almost every letter WIN
device for the flag reference Is made TO retaining ho
stars though sometimes ignoring the stripes one 'oh
fcderae wrote: Let the Yankees keep their ridiculous
time of Yankee Doodle but by all that is sacred do
not let them monopozc the and stripes You have
fought well under glorious banner; could you hsht
as well under another Neyer Change IT, improve H.
alter il as you WILL but for Heavens sake Keep the stars
and stripes!"
Another said: DO not give up tho stars ana stripes u
the North II is ours as fully It Is theirs. Keep
the stripes keep the azure field and star for each SOW
ernty in the constellation and then distinguish IL by
red cross the Southern cutting the stripes NJ
right angles. Tho songs OF a nation anu It's nag
have a prodlgous moral influence"
One Confederate alone wrote against the stars anu IN
favor OF the stripes He said don't Ike the cross IL
Is significant OF Catholic rule and had too much 70 90
with the machinery OF the Dark Ages The ola stars
must think be abandoned. They belong TO night ana
besides tho North will keep them. IL Is morning Win
u.s. Let there be seven stripes one for each oil inc
original States, the thirteen were for the orIsha
States OF the old Confcderacy Lot them be vertical In
stead Of horizontal
one writing wholly in favor OF the stars, sent his de-
vice and said: We still have star spanged banner
which Is dear to the people from old associations and
we can afford 10 let Ole Yankees keep the stripes We
arc entitled 10 n 'starspangled banner because the
best poetry honor OF II composed by southern
man. and the incident which occasonod its composition
occurred soil and reflected honor on South
soldiers"